System using magnetic coupling to move a carriage

Abstract

A system for moving a receptacle. The system includes: a coupling wall; an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent the coupling wall, the internal carriage being movable along the coupling wall along a predetermined path; an external carriage provided substantially adjacent the coupling wall and substantially in register with the internal carriage with the coupling wall extending between the internal and external carriages, the external carriage being movable along the coupling wall, the external carriage including a receptacle attachment for securing the receptacle thereto; and a carriage actuator operatively coupled to the internal carriage for moving the internal carriage along the predetermined path. The internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other across the coupling wall so that when the internal carriage is moved along the predetermined path, the external carriage follows the internal carriage and remains substantially in register therewith.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for moving a receptacle, said system comprising:
 a coupling wall; 
 an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent an internal side of said coupling wall, said internal carriage being movable along said coupling wall along a predetermined path; 
 an external carriage provided substantially adjacent an external side of said coupling wall and substantially in register with said internal carriage with said coupling wall located between and structurally separating said internal and external carriages, said external carriage being movable along said coupling wall, said external carriage including a receptacle attachment for securing said receptacle thereto; and 
 a carriage actuator operatively coupled to said internal carriage for moving said internal carriage along said predetermined path; 
 wherein said internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other by magnetic attraction across said coupling wall so that when said internal carriage is moved along said predetermined path, said external carriage follows said internal carriage as a result of said magnetic attraction and remains substantially in register therewith, 
 wherein said internal carriage includes an internal carriage body and an internal carriage rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to said internal carriage body so as to be rotatable relative thereto about an internal carriage rotation axis substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall; said external carriage includes an external carriage body and an external carriage rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to said external carriage body so as to be rotatable relative thereto about an external carriage rotation axis substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall, said internal and external carriage rotation axes being substantially collinear; said receptacle attachment is jointly rotatable with said external carriage rotatable assembly; said internal and external carriage rotatable assemblies are magnetically coupled to each other so that rotation of said internal carriage rotatable assembly about said internal carriage rotation axis causes a corresponding rotation of said external carriage rotatable assembly about said external carriage rotation axis due to magnetic coupling forces; and 
 said system further comprises a tilting mechanism for selectively rotating said internal carriage rotatable assembly about said internal carriage rotation axis wherein said tilting mechanism includes a guiding track extending along said coupling wall and an actuating lever extending from said internal carriage rotatable assembly and engaging said guiding track, said guiding track including guiding track first and second portions that are distanced differently from said predetermined path, causing said internal carriage rotatable assembly to rotate relative to said internal carriage body when said internal carriage moves between portions of said predetermined path in which said actuating lever engages said guiding track first and second portions. 
 
     
     
       2. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said coupling wall is part of a sealed enclosure defining a cavity, said internal carriage being provided in said cavity. 
     
     
       3. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said coupling wall is substantially vertical. 
     
     
       4. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said internal and external carriages includes a permanent magnet for magnetically coupling said internal and external carriages to each other. 
     
     
       5. The system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said internal and external carriages include respectively an internal carriage magnet and an external carriage magnet, said internal and external carriage magnets being substantially in register with each other with said coupling wall therebetween. 
     
     
       6. The system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said internal and external carriage magnets have opposite poles thereof facing each other. 
     
     
       7. The system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said internal and external carriage magnets are both permanent magnets. 
     
     
       8. The system as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said coupling wall is ferromagnetic. 
     
     
       9. The system as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said coupling wall is non-ferromagnetic. 
     
     
       10. The system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said internal carriage is provided with three additional internal carriage magnets and said external carriage is provided with three additional external carriage magnets, said internal and external carriage magnets defining four pairs of magnets, each of said pair of magnets including one of said internal carriage magnets substantially in register with a corresponding one of said external carriage magnets, said internal and external carriage magnets within each of said pair of magnets having opposite poles thereof facing each other, said internal carriage magnets being arranged in a substantially rectangular configuration, diagonally opposed ones of said internal carriage magnets having a same pole facing said coupling wall, and laterally opposed ones of said internal carriage magnets having different poles facing said coupling wall. 
     
     
       11. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said internal and external carriages abuts against said coupling wall and is provided with a friction reducing element facilitating movement thereof along said coupling wall. 
     
     
       12. The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said friction reducing element includes a substantially freely rotatable roller abutting against said coupling wall. 
     
     
       13. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said carriage actuator includes
 a belt extending substantially parallel to said coupling wall, said internal carriage being mounted to said belt; and 
 a motor operatively coupled to said belt for selectively moving said belt to move said internal carriage along said predetermined path. 
 
     
     
       14. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said internal and external carriage rotatable assemblies include respectively internal carriage rotatable assembly permanent magnets and external carriage rotatable assembly permanent magnets, each of said internal carriage rotatable assembly permanent magnets being in register with a respective one of said external carriage rotatable assembly permanent magnets, said internal and external carriage rotatable assembly permanent magnets that are in register with each other presenting opposite poles to each other. 
     
     
       15. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said external carriage includes a substantially rigid external carriage body, said external carriage further including a seal extending between said external carriage body and said coupling wall, said external carriage body and seal together defining a sealed enclosure. 
     
     
       16. The system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of substantially parallel and spaced apart guiding walls, said coupling wall being substantially perpendicular to said guiding walls and extending therebetween, said internal carriage being provided with guiding rollers abutting against each of said guiding walls and rollable about roller axes that are substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall, said guiding walls causing said predetermined path to be substantially rectilinear. 
     
     
       17. An elevator, said elevator comprising:
 a body, said body including a substantially upstanding column defining a coupling wall and a cavity extending within said column along said coupling wall; 
 an internal carriage provided in said cavity substantially adjacent said coupling wall, said internal carriage being movable along said coupling wall; 
 an external carriage provided outside of said cavity substantially adjacent said coupling wall and substantially in register with said internal carriage and without physical contact between said external carriage and said internal carriage, said external carriage being movable along said coupling wall; 
 a carriage actuator provided in said column and operatively coupled to said internal carriage for moving said internal carriage along said coupling wall; 
 wherein said internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other across said coupling wall; 
 whereby using said carriage actuator to move said internal carriage along said coupling wall correspondingly moves said external carriage along said coupling wall due to magnetic interactions between said internal and external carriages. 
 
     
     
       18. The elevator as defined in  claim 17 , further comprising magnets, wherein
 said magnets define at least one pair of magnets including two magnets that are in register with each other across said coupling wall, said at least one pair of magnets including
 a first magnet part of said internal carriage and positioned substantially adjacent said coupling wall; and 
 a second magnet part of said external carriage and positioned substantially adjacent said coupling wall and substantially in register with said first magnet; 
 said first and second magnets having opposite poles thereof facing each other across said coupling wall. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The elevator as defined in  claim 18 , wherein said elevator is usable to raise tablets, said elevator further comprising:
 a receptacle mounted to said external carriage; a tablet distributor for selectively distributing said tablets; and 
 a tablet discharge operatively coupled to said tablet distributors for receiving said tablets when said tablets are distributed by said tablet distributor; 
 wherein said internal carriage is movable between a lower position and an upper position, wherein, in said lower position, said receptacle is substantially adjacent to said tablet discharge and positioned for receiving thereinto said tablets from said tablet discharge, and, in said upper position, said receptacle is above said tablet distributor. 
 
     
     
       20. The elevator as defined in  claim 19 , further comprising a tilting mechanism, wherein said internal carriage is further movable to a tilting position, wherein in said tilting position, said receptacle is tilted by said tilting mechanism so that said tablets are discharged from said receptacle. 
     
     
       21. A system for moving a receptacle, the system comprising:
 a coupling wall having a first side and a second side; 
 an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent the first side of the coupling wall, the internal carriage being movable along the coupling wall along a predetermined path; 
 an external carriage provided substantially adjacent the second side of the coupling wall and substantially in register with the internal carriage, wherein the coupling wall is located between the internal carriage and the external carriage, wherein the external carriage has no structural connection to the internal carriage, wherein the external carriage is movable along the coupling wall; 
 a receptacle connected to and movable with the external carriage; and 
 a carriage actuator operatively coupled to the internal carriage for moving the internal carriage along the predetermined path; 
 wherein the external carriage is magnetically coupled by magnetic attraction through the coupling wall to the internal carriage so that when the internal carriage is moved along the predetermined path, the external carriage follows the internal carriage as a result of the magnetic attraction.